OP Movie 4: Dead End Race
by zoro4me3
Summary: Everyone sets out on a new adventure where they battle against other pirates in a competition called the Dead End race. This time, Jenka gets to enjoy herself as she gets to see other pirate's abilities and power.
1. Movie 4: Part 1

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**MOVIE 4: Dead End Adventure**

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The Straw-Hat gang arrived on Hannabal Island with towns infested with pirates young and old after escaping from a fleet of marines. They found a small bar hidden between an ally towards one end of the island. Before they entered the bar, they found their wanted posters hanging on the walls outside. They thought nothing of it considering the island was nothing but pirates. As they sat themselves down in the bar, they ordered food and gathered their strength.

"Ahh~ I'm stuffed!" Luffy patted his belly with a mountain of plates piled up in front of him.

"I bet you are." Zoro scowled at him. "You ate a ton."

He laughed. "I still have room for more."

"That's enough!" Usopp ordered him.

Sanji let out a sigh as he finished the last bite to his meal. "Those were some simple, yet delicious dishes. Nami-san, Robin-chan, Jenka-chan, would you ladies care for some dessert?"

"I'm fine, thank you." Nami replied.

Jenka nodded. "I'm good."

"I'll have some coffee." Asked Robin.

Sanji got up with a smile, walking towards the bar. "Certainly~."

"I'll have some more food!" Chopper asked.

"No fair!" Whined Luffy.

"No more for you!" Nami yelled at her captain.

"Eeeh?!"

"Don't 'eeh' me! If no one stops you, you're going to eat forever!"

Sanji sat back down at the table, giving Robin her cup of coffee. "Are we running low on money, Nami-san?"

She sighed. "We haven't exactly earned anything yet... After we stock up we'll have almost nothing left."

"Eh... That's just great."

"What the hell?" Luffy gasped. "Oi, let me say this as your captain. You guys are spending way too much money!"

Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp all whacked Luffy in the back of the head, planting his face onto the table. "IT ALL GOES TOWARD FEEDING _YOU_!!"

"ANYAA~??"

Sanji sat back in his chair and sighed. "Takkun... Anyways, this is a pretty big problem."

"Mou... anything will do." Nami sulked. "Isn't there any way we can make some quick cash here?"

"Well, I didn't see a casino or anything on this island. I guess we'll just have to hope the next island has more to offer." Sanji noticed Nami staring at the bar tender. "Doushita?"

She shook her head. "I-It's nothing."

While everyone talked amongst themselves and Luffy and Usopp where fighting over food, Jenka noticed a pirate sitting down at the bar. She saw him place some coins on the table to show to the bar tender. At that moment, the bar tender brought the pirate to the back room, with him being the only one coming back out. She was curious to know what happened to the pirate...

"Doushita, Jenka-chan?" Sanji asked, noticing Jenka's stares.

She shook her head. "It's nothing, really."

"The guy who walked in just now. Probably a pirate." Zoro stated, leaning back in his chair with his arms folded. "Plus, he had a suspicious exchange with the barkeep. Sou darou?"

Jenka tilted her head. "Zoro, you were watching him?"

He shrugged. "More like I caught it out of the corner of my eye. What do you think?"

"Beats me. Something seems to be up."

"What about you, Nami?" Zoro asked her.

She blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb." He smiled. "You smelled it, right? The scent of your beloved money."

"Nani o?" Nami asked innocently. "Are you calling me a money-fiend?"

He closed his eyes, still smiling. "Am I wrong?" While they were talking, Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper where fighting over left overs while several small bones flew into Zoro's forehead, ignoring them. Jenka began to yell at the boys for throwing the food everywhere.

Sanji knelt forward defensively. "Teemee! What did you say to Nami-san?!"

Nami interrupted him with a wide grin. "You got it! My favorite things are money and tangerines. I'd never pass them by~." She turned her attention to the others. "Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, Jenka!" They stopped fighting to pay attention to her. "I smell an adventure. This isn't a time to be fighting."

While eager stars glittered in the boys' eyes, Nami got up and walked over to the bar keeper to place a bargain with him. She told him of their money troubles and were looking for a way to make a lot of quick cash. She learned that the barkeep was a generous man who didn't want them to simply throw their lives away, especially since they were so young, but Nami tried to explain to him that they were used to these sort of underground schemes and know of the situations they get themselves into, aware of the dangers they place their lives on.

Everyone got up and joined Nami at the bar, gathering up their things. Zoro placed his swords back into his haramaki. As he walked passed Jenka, he gave her a light bop on the head. "Oi, iguso."

She rubbed her head and nodded, finishing up her drink fast and grabbing her kotachis. She joined the others as the barkeep explained the situation to the crew. As soon as they joined Nami, she was in the middle of asking him to please share some inside information about making money.

"Where is the smell of money coming from?" She asked with a confident smile.

The barkeep chuckled. "There's no cure for idiots and pirates, is there?"

Luffy turned to Zoro. "Did he call you an idiot, Zoro?"

Zoro's brow twitched. "Why me?!"

"Because I'm the pirate."

The barkeep continued. "Now I'm positive you want to die young. Follow me."

"We're in!" Luffy and Usopp shouted, slapping each other a high five.

They followed the barkeeper into the back room where they discovered was really a long dark tunnel. The barkeep lite a lantern for them, revealing the long empty tunnel.

Usopp's smile disappeared. "Oi, it's pitch black in here."

"Keep going straight ahead." The barkeep instructed.

"From here?" Jenka asked.

He nodded. "You'll get to where you want to go."

"Chotto matte!" Nami shouted. "You haven't told us anything yet!"

"This is as far as I go. You'll understand if you keep going." He said with a smile.

Luffy giggled. "Ok! We will!"

Usopp hung onto Luffy. "Baka Luffy! This way is too fishy! It's got to be a trap!"

The barkeep stepped in front of them. "If you don't want to do it, just quite. Then I can sleep more peacefully."

"I'm going!" Protested Luffy. "This smells like an adventure~!"

The barkeep closed his eyes and smiled. "An adventure, huh?"

Nami lowered her eyes at the barkeep. "You're certain that we can make some money there, right?"

"I don't lie. But I can't tell you the details."

Usopp hunched over and mumbled. "Uh-oh. My chronic I-shouldn't-go-through-this-tunnel disease is acting up again..."

Jenka sweat dropped. "Why must you always make up some lame disease to get out of going somewhere or doing anything?"

Zoro placed his hand on Usopp's shoulder. "Give it up, Usopp. The captain has made up his mind to go."

"The fact is that we don't have any money. What choice do we have?" Sanji asked.

Usopp sighed. "Uuuhh... I've got a bad feeling about this..."

"Adventures are waiting for us up ahead, na~?" Chopper asked with his cute little smile.

"Ah!" Luffy replied. "Yosh! Now let's go! To get my food money~!!"

"Is that all you care about?" Usopp asked.

"Show two 100 berry coins at the end of this tunnel. That's the password." The barkeep instructed them.

"Arigatou, Ossan!" Luffy thanked him.

Zoro took the lantern from the barkeep and led the way into the tunnel. After walking for several minutes, something caught Zoro's attention up ahead.

"Hmm?"

"Doushita?" Jenka asked.

"Iiya, it's nothing." Zoro replied. An ugly lite face appeared suddenly in front of Zoro, catching him off guard. He yelled, nearly dropping the lantern from his surprise. Zoro bobbled the lantern in his hands, finally catching it. After a couple seconds of holding it the wrong way, Zoro yelled again, burning his hands from the light. He fell backwards, forcing Sanji to catch the lamp this time with his leg.

"Oi, Zoro! What the hell are you doing?" He stopped, staring at the face Zoro had seen. He noticed it was really a man guarding a door. "Who the hell are you?"

"Chotto matte Sanji-kun!" Nami stopped him, stepping over the fallen swordsman. "Zoro, you're in the way." She faced the man. "No need to be on your guard. We've got the password right here." She pulled out the coins and winked at him. "Ne~?"

The man backed off, opening the door to them without ever saying a word. A bright light showed within. They entered, having a whole new fortress being revealed to them. They had to be about 10 stories if not more in the open fortress. There were pirates everywhere, drinking, eating, fighting, and just partying in general. Pirate flags hung everywhere around the railings, showing off the different pirate gangs in the arena.

Luffy leaned over the railing in awe, just like Chopper, Usopp, and Jenka. "What is this place~?" He laughed.

Jenka smiled from ear to ear, enjoying the sight of all the pirates. "Pirates from all over are here for us to face!"

Chopper pointed above them. "Ooh~ There's a ship hanging from the ceiling!"

Zoro finally caught up to them, blowing on his hands. "Man that thing was hot...!"

"What's all this?" Nami asked. "There where only a few ships at the port when we got here."

"Oi, babe." A pirate called out to Nami. "You come here to bet? The bookmaker's on the top floor."

Nami blinked. "Bookmaker?"

"Huh? You mean you're here to enter the race?"

Her eyes widened. "Race?"

"No way, don't bother! You'll just be wasting your lives doing that."

"Ah yes, so_ this_ is the place." Robin said, stepping forward. "It's been a while, so I didn't recall it at first."

"What Robin?" Jenka asked.

"I was here once before with the captain of the pirate ship I'd boarded. It's not regular, but they hold a race once every few years." She explained. "Organized by pirates for pirates, the anything-goes Dead End Race."

"By pirates?" Sanji repeated.

"Eh, ex-pirates , to be precise. All the citizens of this town were once pirates."

Luffy and Chopper nodded their heads. "Ah, sou desu ne~."

Robin continued. "The goal is different every time. But the starting point is always here. Participants sail via an Eternal Pose adjusted for the final goal. The rules are simple: whoever reaches the goal first is the winner. Then the winner will receive the prize. And whatever should occur in the route is your own problem. Sou... no matter what happens."

Zoro nodded. "That's easy to understand."

"As simple as figuring out what's going to happen next." Sanji commented.

Jenka threw her fists into the air out of excited frustration. "Gaah! This is going to be incredible!"

Nami sweat dropped. "Why are you so excited for this race, Jenka? I've never seen you so happy."

"She lives for the rush of facing other pirates in battle." Usopp explained.

Jenka nodded. "Got that right! Pirates from all over the world are here entering this race and we're going to be the one's to show them that _we're_ the strongest and the best! I can't wait!"

Nami sighed. "The race sounds pretty dangerous. Well... it might not be so bad for a crew like ours... And it looks like you and Luffy's eager to join..." She looked up at the man who informed them of the race. "Ne, who else is entering the race? Do you know?"

The man laughed. "Nani? Are you really going to enter? Well, I'd say about a third of the guys here are entering."

Nami smiled. "Ah~ That's a lot of people!"

"The guys at the bottom floor are the third favorite."

Usopp looked down. "Below?"

"See those big guys?" The man asked. "They're the giants Bobby and Pogo." The giants had old fashion armor on that looked like they were made out of wood and metal. They wore helmets that resembled Vikings as they ate and drank merrily.

Usopp smiled, remembering his encounter with giants before back on Little Garden island with Alzabub. "Ah~ So there's giants entering~!"

"And on the terrace in front of us, an old rival of Arlong and the second favorite, Grampus Merman Willy." Willy, who was surrounded by other mermen, looked like an older fatter version of an Orca whale, with white messy hair and long fangs. He wore an open shirt and torn shorts with goggles over his slit eyes.

Nami laughed nervously, remembering the horrible Arlong and his mermen when they once ruled her home island. "Eh heh heh. Even mermen..."

Luffy was overjoyed. "Uwaah~~ This is great~! There are so many people entering~! I'm really excited~! I wonder who's coming after us~!"

Nami quickly ran over to her captain and twisted her fist on the side of his head. "Wait just a minute, Luffy!! We haven't decided yet if we're going to be entering in the race! Besides, there's no point in taking part in a crazy event like this! Listen!!"

Robin walked up to the man. "Ne, how much is the prize money this year?"

He held his head up, remembering. "Etto... If I remember correctly, it's $300,000,000 berries this year."

Nami spun around with her fighting fist punching the air with determination. "YOSH~! We are entering the race~!"

Everyone cheered. "HAI~!!"

"OI!!" Usopp and Zoro shouted.

As Nami and Sanji went to sign up, place a bet on themselves, and grab the Eternal Pose for their destination to Partia Island while the others went to grab food in the lounge. Robin stayed behind and sat at a table while sipping coffee. When Nami and Sanji returned, she learned that the favorite is General Gasparde. Soon after that, Nami learned that the food here was free and didn't have to worry about Luffy and the others pigging out without spending a dime.

The others gathered around an empty table where Luffy and Chopper instantly began to eat, already placing piles of dirty empty plates in the middle of the table. Usopp and Zoro grabbed drinks as the others ate. Jenka on the other hand was happily polishing her kotachis and knives.

Zoro sweat dropped. "Why are you so excited? It's just a race with other pirates." He asked Jenka.

She smiled. "I told you. Competing against other pirates and beating them in this race will show me how strong we are and giving us another step up in power in this pirate totem pole~!"

"The pirate totem pole?"

"Yeah. You know, it'll show other pirates that we're stronger making us more powerful and dangerous. It'll show other pirates and the navy that we're unstoppable!"

"I don't get you..." He turned his attention to Luffy, gazing upon his animal-like eating behavior. "Weren't you full earlier as well?"

"Nope! That was only about 60%."

"E-eh... ok."

"The race starts tomorrow, right?" Luffy asked with food in his mouth. "I gotta get myself charged up for it"

"Gotta!" Chopper repeated.

"You don't have to echo him." Usopp teased.

Chopper's eyes went wide. "EH?! No I don't!"

At this point, Luffy began stretching and taking food from other tables and out of the waiter's hands. "Heehee~! I love this place~! The food just keeps coming and coming~!" Luffy muffled between food.

Zoro sighed. "Matakku.. You're stomach's bottomless... Ah?!"

Suddenly, Zoro's eyes went wide and he stood up at lightning speed, grabbing his swords. A man came up behind Luffy and slammed his head into the table, snapping it in two. The man wore a yellow jacket with two black sports stripes down the sleeves. He wore black pants that were rolled up just before the ankles, showing a bit of his tan legs before meeting his boots. His hair was wavy and short, almost shoulder length with a light color of auburn. A lone tattoo that looked like a sideways hook trailed across his left cheek.

Jenka's eyes began to swell up with tears. "My cleaning utensils!" She glared angrily at the man. "Kisama...!! You'll pay for this!"

"What was that for?" Zoro asked very calmly.

The man shook his fist. "What was that for? What was that for?! What was that... what was... THAT'S WHAT I SHOULD ASK!!"

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!!" Zoro shouted back at him.

"URUSEIYAI!! He stole my food stretching his arms like that!! Just because his arms can stretch doesn't mean...! His arms... can stretch..." It finally clicked in his mind. "HIS ARMS CAN STRETCH?!"

Usopp and Chopper swung they hands to the side. "A little too slow..."

Luffy got up, wiping his face from the food. "Yosh... You know what I'm gonna do, right?"

The man stood tall, staring at him with low eyes. "Omae... You have the ability of the Devil's Fruit?"

"So what?"

"Oi, oi, oi, oi tee mee rou!!" Some angry pirates called out to them from behind. "Don't get cocky just because nobody's been saying anything about you stealing all the food! Do you even know who we are?!"

The man turned around to face them with an annoyed face. "Eh?!"

The pirates laughed. "We're part of Gasparde's crew. Do you think you could piss us off and get away with it?!" The man walked over to the pirates. "We'll kill you guys before the race even starts." They were now face to face. "What's this? Going to apologize? Hee hee too late!"

Jenka's eyes went wide. "Did he say... Gasparde...?!" Zoro was the only one that heard her and just gave her a curious look.

"Oi!" Luffy walked behind him, grabbing the man's shoulder. "You were about to fight _me_!"

One of the pirates shot Luffy, sending him stumbling backwards. Their leader, who was face to face with the mysterious man, laughed. "Keep quiet." He looked at the man who had his eyes looking curious at the stumbling pirate. "Oi, pay attention to me!"

Luffy smiled. "Heh! That won't work. Because I'm rubber." The bullet bounced back at the pirates, shooting into a wall and perfectly missing all the other pirates. As everyone stared with slacked jaws, Luffy yelled at the pirates. "Oi! Why the hell did you do that?!"

The pirate who shot him stuttered. "Maa... I was going for more than just a startle... Who the hell are you?"

"Ore? I've eaten the Gum Gum Fruit. I'm a rubberman!" With that said, Luffy used his Gum Gum Pistol to knock some pirates over, sending a few against a wall. Luffy's arms pulled back into place and he smiled with his fist out. "How was that, morons~?"

"Bakemono!!" Some pirates called him. "He has the ability of the Devil's Fruit? Just like Gasparde-sama!"

The pirates attacked the man and Luffy, only to fall against their amazing fighting skills. Luffy was doing well stretching and punching the pirates, while the other man defended perfectly with such swift movement as if he was light as a feather on his feet. Not forgetting the others, some of the pirates turned their attention to Zoro and the others, blocking them into a wall. Zoro stood tall in front of the pirates, while Jenka stood ready and Usopp and Chopper crouched behind them.

Usopp shook. "T-they're coming!!"

"They're coming!" Chopper repeated.

"Zoro! Sic 'em!" Usopp ordered.

Zoro sweat dropped. "Omae...!"

The men rushed towards him without a warning. Zoro simply grinned evilly at them and pulled out his swords. When they all swung at him at once, Zoro blocked them all perfectly with his Santouryu technique. "I don't feel like cutting you up, so don't make me." Zoro warned.

"W-who the hell is this guy?" One of the pirates asked nervously.

"Yosh~ good!" Usopp said as he and Chopper hid behind a pillar with thumbs up.

Zoro's glared at them. "You're over there?!"

"Gasparde's entering the race...?!" Jenka said, still dwelling on the thought. She caught some men's attention and they began to run after her as well. They swung at her, but she blocked with ease as she quickly unsheathed her two kotachis. She smirked. "Do you think I'm helpless just because I'm standing here with a drifting expression?" She swung away from them, forcing the men to fall back a step. She ran at them and sliced her way back towards through the group, cutting the men along the way and dodging as she went.

Luffy and the mysterious man continued fighting the others until they trailed the fight all the way to the top floor and disappeared. It wasn't until about half an hour later when Luffy finally returned. He informed the crew that he had met a man named Gasparde, which he was later informed that he was the favorite for the race. He also told them about the mysterious man from before who's name was Shuraiya, a bounty hunter. He also said Gasparde had invited him onto his crew, but of course he refused.

Jenka swallowed a nervous gulp. "Gasparde..."


	2. Movie 4: Part 2

_**PREVIOUSLY...**_

The Straw-Hat crew decide to enter a pirate race known as the Dead End Race. Pirates from all over join in the race while local ex-pirates place bets on them. The Straw-Hats discover the top three favorites: third are the giants Bobby and Pogo, second is Arlong's old rival Grampus Merman Willy, and the number favorite Gasparde, a mysterious man who's name seems to be troubling Jenka...

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The crew went back to the ship later that night and rested up for the big race the next day. As the sun came up, everyone was making the ship ready as they prepare for the Dead End Race.

While everyone was working on the ship, Nami kept staring at the Eternal Pose. She sighed. "Are? It's still pointing at that mountain."

"Doushita, Nami?" Luffy asked, springing down off the mast and landing next to the navigator.

"The Eternal Pose is pointing over the mountain."

"So the starting point is over there?" Sanji asked, climbing down the mast's rope.

Nami shook her head. "No. The bookkeeper explicitly said that this town was the starting point. "

"I don't see any other ships." Zoro pointed out on the upper deck. "Did they leave without us?"

Jenka pointed at Nami with an angry expression. "If we've missed the race I won't forgive you!"

Nami glared back at her. "Urusai! This isn't my fault, baka!"

"What did you call me?!"

"We are indeed at the starting point." Robin assured them. "This island has several rivers that branch in from the sea, and they meet at the main stream in front of us."

Nami blinked. "In front if us? You mean... There?!"

"The other ships should be on standby at the other branches." Robin continued. "The starting point is at the top of that mountain."

"E-eh chotto matte yo! You mean we're going up the mountain?!"

"Sou. Just like you've experienced on Reverse Mountain, right?"

"Yes, but there was a huge current at the time..."

"There is one here too." Robin smiled. "Once every few years, a strong back current accompanied by a fierce gale arrives here. That's what we'll be using."

Sanji sneaked up next to her with hearts as eyes. "Ah~ you know everything, Robin-chan~!"

"I guess that's an understandable theory..." Nami agreed...

"So it's a mystery start!" Luffy said.

Usopp hit him in the chest. "Yeah right."

Jenka looked at Nami. "Na... are you sure about this? The ship was nearly wrecked the last time, remember?"

"Daijou~bu~!" Luffy grinned. "We'll make it somehow!"

Nami suddenly sensed something in the air and spun around to the others. "The gale's coming! Luffy, hurry and reinforce the yards! Usopp, take the helm! Chopper, watch the aft! Sanji-kun, Zoro, watch the shrouds on both sides of the mast!"

Everyone sprinted into action, following the skilled navigator's orders. As soon as everyone got into position, the water began to slowly pick up pace. Only moments later, but the speed dramatically change along with a sudden powerful gust of wind taking the Going Merry along for the ride. Everyone hung on for dear life as the powerful current dragged the ship towards the mountain, first going through a cave.

"N-not another tunnel!" Usopp exclaimed.

"YOSH~! IIGUSO~!!!" Luffy shouted as they approached a light at the end of the tunnel.

As they came out of the tunnel, the Straw-Hat pirates was carried up through villages where pirates, ex-pirates, and supporters cheered for them and against them as they traveled through.

Nami smiled. "Naru hodou. This is what they meant by 'parade start'."

"Oi oi oi oi~!" Usopp smiled. "You wouldn't have guessed, but it looks like a lot of people bet on us, ne?"

Luffy and Usopp threw the crowd a confident smile and held their fists into the air. "Yosh~! Leave it to us~!"

"You punks better not mess anything up!!" A few members of the crowd shouted at them angrily. "I've bet on the favorite! If you get in the way, I'll kill you!" Usopp and Luffy sweat dropped and fell over.

Nami leaned against the railing, staring at the crowd. "Well, that kind of attitude is to be expected."

Zoro walked down to the deck, resting his arm on his swords. "So who's this Gasparde guy?" He asked, looking at Jenka.

"Hm. Now this is rare." Jenka smiled at the swordsman. "Are you interested in him?"

"You mentioned his name the other night. Plus you were researching him until late last night, weren't you?" He asked her, already knowing the answer. "You as well." He glanced at Nami.

"Sugei..." Chopper stared over the railing in awe. "We're really climbing the mountain."

"Hm?" From the mast, Sanji noticed the other pirates ships trailing up the mountain from different rivers. "I can see the other ships over there." All of a sudden, the people turned their attention to another ship, a very large ship trailing up one of the rivers next to the Going Merry. The ship looked to be like an old naval ship with the Marine's logo "x"ed out in red paint. "Whoa... that's a big one. A steam powered ship, never seen that before."

Nami's eyes widened. "It's him!"

"That's the top favorite, Gasparde's ship _The Salamander_." Jenka mentioned, eye narrowing.

"What's with the mark on the sails?" Usopp asked. "It's the mark of the Marines, but it's been crossed out."

"Sou, that guy's a former marine general." Jenka explained. "He became a pirate after seizing control of the ship he was assigned to. Right now, the bounty on his head is $95,000,000 berries."

Usopp's eyes bulged. "$95,000,000 berries?! That guy's a real big shot!"

Nami nodded. "Pretty much. We have to watch out for an ability he has. Apparently, he's eaten one of the Devil's Fruits. He's been dubbed 'General', but there aren't any pleasant rumors about him."

"Pleasant rumors? Well... he _is _a pirate, so I guess there wouldn't be–"

"He's a monster."

Zoro looked at Jenka after her last comment. "Did you mention that Gasparde guy's name earlier?"

"You know Gasparde?" Robin asked.

Jenka nodded, folding her arms. "He's a twisted ex-marine general who's a power hungry savage."

"How do you know him?" Nami asked.

"I;ve encountered him once when I was little."

"WHAT?!"

"He was still a navy general then and he tried pursuing our pirate crew."

Chopper took a step forward. "Then what happened?"

She sighed. "We managed to get away, but I remember his Devil's Fruit was very troublesome. I don't know what it is exactly... it was so long ago, but I remember he was ruthless and fought unfair. He's really the only one we have to watch out for. He plays dirty."

"So what if he does?" Luffy interrupted annoyingly, turning his shoulder the other way.

Jenka blinked. "Luffy?"

"I hate him."

She sighed. "That makes two of us..."

"Gasparde being an ex-marine is one reason to hate him, but I have a feeling thee's another reason too, ne Jenka?" Nami asked.

She nodded. "Mostly it's because he's blinded by power, but it really pissed me off when I heard he became a pirate. It's shameful for a marine to become a pirate, let alone a dirty one at that."

"Sou ka..."

Some of the rivers interconnected, bringing more ships up against each other. One large ship rode next to the Going Merry, with a strange man laughing on board.

"Yahahahaha!! What a shabby little ship!" The Captain said. "You really think you can make it over the Grand Fall in that?"

"That's Vigaro. The hanged man." Jenka explained. Just then, an even bigger ship - nearly 3 times the size of Vigaro's - pulled up on the other side of the Going Merry with a large spinning drill on the front of it. "Eh?! It's Willy's ship!!" Then next to them an even bigger ship. "The Giant's ship!!"

"You seem to know a lot about who's who here, Miss Kobaiyo." Robin mentioned.

She nodded with a confident smile. "Of course. Growing up into piracy forces one to learn about the other pirates that exist in this world. Especially the strong ones with high bounties."

"AAAAAAAH!!" Chopper screamed. "We're inclining rapidly!!"

The ship began to tilt almost vertically as the ships drew closer to the summit. Nami smiled nervously. "Daijoubu. It's no problem."

They all held onto anything to keep them from falling back. When they finally reached the summit, the ship seemed to be traveling in slow motion as the beautiful sunrise shone in front of them, lighting up the Earth. Luffy screamed joyfully into the air while everyone stared in fear at the perfectly vertical drop on the other side. The Going Merry fell straight down, forcing the crew to grab onto something quick before falling over.

"Hold on!" Jenka extended her arms in front of her and controlled the ship and water beneath them. A purple glow surrounded the ship with her telekinesis as she brought the ship back into the water gently, then straightening out a bit as it completely fell back onto the rapid water.

"Sankyu~!" Luffy thanked Jenka for the save.

Nami's face was blue from fear. "T-THAT WAS THE GRAND FALL?!"

"Miss Navigator." Robin called. "This isn't a time to be overwhelmed!"

They turned their attention to the ships. They were attacking each other; whether it be coming aboard the ships, crashing into them, blowing them away, the pirates began attacking each other without mercy.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY DOING?!" Usopp shouted.

Zoro smiled. "The race has started."

"From this point on, anything goes." Robin added.

Jenka threw her fists anxiously into the air. "Let's get this party started then~!"

Luffy laughed. "They're sure going at it. They're enjoying themselves~!"

Nami shouted orders again, preparing the crew for all angle attacks from enemy ships. Sure enough as soon as everyone was at their stations, on coming ships began to slowly surround the Going Merry. But as expected of the Straw-Hat pirates, they defended perfectly. More and more ships kept sinking and crashing into the shore and they weren't even out of the gale yet. But the more they traveled down the river, the more ships kept piling up on shore, especially when there was a turn up ahead.

"Chopper! Turn the helm!" Nami shouted.

"I'm trying, but it won't move!"

"At this rate we'll crash!!

"We're steering off course!" Usopp added.

Zoro stood there calmly, not feeling threatened at all. "If I kicked the ship from below, would it help cushion it?"

"YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!" Jenka shouted at him. Suddenly something clicked. "Ah! A cushion!" She turned to her captain and smiled slyly. "Luffy~."

Knowing already what she was asking, Luffy jumped over board, inflating himself into his Gum Gum Balloon. He landed on one of the crashed ships with the Going Merry crashing into his other side with safety. Luffy began to roll over, rolling the ship with him and launching it over and out of danger. Usopp grabbed Luffy's hand as he extended it out to catch the flying Going Merry.

Chopper screamed. "WHAT DO WE DO NOW?!" He asked, noticing they were flying over land.

Jenka extended her arms once more. "I'm on it–ACK!!" Usopp knocked her off to the side, causing her to lose her concentration. "KISAMA!! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"

He was sweating nervously. "G-G-Gomen! I lost my balance from the movement!"

Robin giggled. "Allow me to help instead." She crossed her arms. "Gran Fleur!"

Millions of her arms and hands extended out from one side of the ship, forming one giant hand to grab a hold of a building, slinging the ship back onto the water. They finally reached open water, releasing the remaining ships into the ocean.

"Man, it's almost unreal how often stuff like this happens." Sanji commented. "I'm surprised we've lasted this long."

"Thanks Robin!" Nami remembered to thank her.

She nodded. "Let's enjoy the rest of the ride."

"I'm really pumped~!" Luffy laughed. "We'll trail the lot. This is only the beginning~! This is exactly why it's great to be a pirate~! Yosha~!! Let's go guys!!"

Everyone threw their fists into the air. "UN!!"

--------------------------------------------------

Several hours had past by, making it nearly noon. The Going Merry seemed to be the only ship in sight since the others went their own way; either to avoid battles or a faster route.

Jenka leaned against the railing, staring out at the empty ocean. "This is so boring... I thought this race would be more exciting. Seems all the action was only in the beginning."

"The other ships are out of sight." Chopper pointed out.

"I bet they're all taking a course they think is best." Jenka replied.

"Maybe I should use this chance to make some food." Sanji suggested.

Luffy cheered. "BANZAI~!!"

"Go check the damage of the ship, Zoro." Nami ordered.

"By myself?!" He complained. "Damn bitch, ordering me around..." He sighed and walked around the ship, checking for holes and cracks or any other kinds of damage to the ship. He walked into the storage room and scratched his head while searching for damages. "Any loose planks or cracks? ...Looks like the place is intact." Something suddenly caught his attention. He glanced behind him at the bathroom and opened it. "If you planned on stowing away, you're on the wrong boat." He said, talking straight to the bathtub. "This is a pirate ship."

He waited for a moment for a reaction until seconds later, a boy popped up from inside the tub, screaming and shooting at Zoro. He dodged at incredible speed, grabbing the kid by his jaw and nailing him against the wall and a bit of his blade showing. "A kid?!" As soon as he realized it was a child, the boy had already passed out from the hit to his head.

--------------------------------------------------

"You're such a cruel man." Nami said to Zoro. "You can't even go easy on a kid!"

"I didn't have a choice! He had a gun! How the hell was I suppose to know?!"

"Zoro's so cruel~" Usopp and Luffy said in a girlish manner.

"Tee mee wa...!"

The boy slowly opened his eyes and found Chopper sitting next to him making medicine. The boy was young, looked about 10 or so with an oversized boiler hat with straps on his head and brown baggy overalls. The overalls had tacky patches all over the pant legs and he wore a rolled up long sleeve blue shirt underneath. He wore gloves and his pants were rolled up a bit to reveal his stubby little shoes.

The reindeer noticed him waking up and smiled. "The kid's awake!"

The boy jumped back suddenly against the wall, screaming at Chopper. "THE DEER TALKED!!"

"I'M A REINDEER!!"

"THAT'S EVEN WEIRDER!!"

"SHUT THE HELL UP, ASSHOLE!!"

"Stop fighting you two." Nami said calmly. "He's actually a superb doctor." She noticed the kid searching frantically through his trousers and pulled out a pistol from her lap. "Looking for this? You know, if you brought something like this onto a pirate ship, nobody would be to blame if you ended up dead yourself. What are you after? Who sent you here?" The boy didn't respond and only looked at the floor.

Chopper smiled nervously. "W-well... the kid's still in bad shape. Let's just ask later. And besides--"

"To kill you." The boy muttered. "To kill you all and make some money!!"

"Money, huh?" Nami repeated. "Well if you want to be straight about it. But there are hoards of other pirates. Why did you choose this ship?"

"Isn't it obvious" Usopp asked, smiling. "We're the infamous Straw-Hat pirates."

"Who cares!" The kid snapped at him. "This ship just looked weaker than all the others!" Luffy chuckled. "Don't laugh! I'm serious!"

Jenka sighed. "Looks can be deceiving, kid."

"Pirates should be used to being marked by death." Luffy explained to him with a smile and his arms folded across his chest. "If you aren't ready to put your life on the line, you aren't ready to fight me."

The boy's eyes widened with a nervous look on his face. Jenka used her mind and grabbed the gun from the table and tossed it into the boys hands. She smiled as she stood next to Luffy at the doorway. "Show us how serious you are. Or is it just a bluff?"

The boy gripped the gun. "D-don't mock me! BASTARD!!" He aimed and fired the gun at Luffy, only to sling the bullet back and shoot into the wall next to the kid. The kid fell to his knees and shook in fear and shock. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"

"You almost hit the kid!" Usopp yelled at him.

The boy shook. "T-the... Devil's Fruit..."

"That's right. Haven't you ever heard of them?" Nami asked.

"I-I've never seen them off our ship..."

"They're very mysterious fruits. The downside is that you become a Hammer and can't swim. But in return, you obtain a greater ability than any human. Among us, Robin, Chopper, and Jenka over there have the abilities too."

The boy stared at her for a moment before sighing. "Kill me." The boy sat crisscross on the floor. "Go ahead and just kill me! Kuso... just do it!"

"Impressive resolve is what I'd say." Nami commented. "Except aren't you treating your life a little too lightly?"

"I don't need to be lectured by a pirate! Why should I care? There's no reason to keep living without any hope. I'd be better off not existing at all!"

Nami stood up silently, stepping over Zoro on the bench. "Zoro, I'm borrowing your sword."

Zoro let her go, closing his eyes. "Don't step over people."

"Quit that self pity crap..." She growled. She unsheathed one of Zoro's swords and pointed it angrily at the boy. "If that's really how you feel, then I'll give you want you want!"

"D-don't do it Nami!" Chopper got in front of her.

"Stay out of this! This is what pisses me off the most! No reason to keep living?! If you're alive, you can't talk about dying!!"

"Aren't you a little upset that Nami took your sword?" Jenka asked Zoro, who found him entertained by the spectacle.

He grinned. "Not if she's going to do something interesting, I'm not."

She sighed. "You're hopeless..."

Everyone just stared at Nami, not getting in the way since it was her business. Luffy and Usopp drank some tea while they watched with Robin hovering over them with a smile. Sanji ignored the situation and brought food to the table, informing the crew lunch was ready. Zoro was leaning over the table with a long smirk across his face at the sight on Nami getting angry and expecting a fight. Jenka just sighed and did her best to ignore the situation. Chopper grew big and held onto Nami as she swung the sword angrily in his grasp.

"I DON'T CARE IF HE'S A LITTLE KID!! I'LL TAKE YOUR STUPID IDEAS AND CUT THEM IN HALF!!

--------------------------------------------------

It was several more hours later on the ship, and as expected of the Grand Line, the weather was constantly changing. It had been snowing softly for a while now and the boy say outside in a corner of the ship until Sanji came out and wrapped a blanket around him.

"Chopper's worried about you. He doesn't want you to catch a cold." The boy ignored him, not moving an inch since Sanji came. He cook sighed. "You know, 8 years ago Nami-san's mother was killed in front of her by pirates who then enslaved her until we came along. Chopper had a hard past as well, and Jenka-chan, and so did all the others. You need to stay alive. But if you make it through, you'll be able to see tomorrow." Sanji smiled softly, blowing a puff of smoke into the air. He got up and began to walk away. "You probably wouldn't understand yet."

--------------------------------------------------

The day was nearly gone and the sun was setting, though it was hard to tell through the dark rain clouds slowly hovering over the sky. Just then out of no where, a large ship came up close behind the Going Merry. The ship was Vigaro.

He laughed. "Yahahahaha!! I'm surprised you brats have made it this far!"

As he continued talking, the crew ignored him. "Nanda?" Zoro raised his eyebrow. "He's damn obnoxious."

"It's him! That guy from the beginning of the race!" Usopp pointed out.

"I think his name was Vigaro." Chopper commented.

"Eh? I thought we were in last place." Robin replied.

"So they're last?" Jenka asked.

"NANDA TOU?!?!" Vigaro asked, noticing he was being completely ignored. "I'm going to crush you!!"

Just then, Usopp fired a bullet at one of the men, nailing him in the face. He shook at first, not realizing what he had just done, then basking in his glory at the fact that he hit someone. Vigaro and his men took that as an invitation of battle, and began to prepare for battle.

Usopp gave the men a thumbs up. "Yosh! Go get 'em, guys!"

Luffy was getting ready to swing onto their ship when Zoro walked in front of him. "Matte, Luffy. The two of us can handle it." He said, referring to the cook.

"Just sit out once in a while." Sanji suggested to his captain.

"You sure you guys don't need any help?" Jenka asked, hoping they'd let her fight.

Zoro turned to face her. "We'll be fine with just the two of us. We have no need for your help."

Her brow twitched angrily at his comment. "Can anyone say, 'big ego'?"

Zoro and Sanji both jumped aboard and landed on each side of the bow's head, which consisted of two dragon heads. The men stared up at them, not knowing what to expect.

"Nothing personal," Zoro began. "But if you're looking for a fight, we'll give you one."

"I've got dinner to cook." Sanji added.

In unison, they both spoke. "One minute's enough."

With that said, Zoro tied his bandana on his head and unsheathed all three of his swords. He used his Oni giri on the attacking men, sending them fly across and off the ship on one swing. Sanji on the other hand tapped his shoes a couple times before spinning off on his hands, kicking the men back. The ships jerked suddenly, stopping everyone in their tracks.

"What was that?" Nami asked.

The ships shook again, only this time it didn't stop. Vigaro's ship began to rise out of the water, revealing sea monsters known as "Sea Kings" underneath them. The ship fell off the nose of one of the gigantic sea kings and was about to snap at the ship when Luffy had an idea.

"Zoro! Sanji! Grab on!" He shouted, extending his hand inside of the sea king's nose.

"WHERE ARE YOU AIMING?!" They shouted at him, wondering why he completely missed them.

Luffy plucked a nose hair from the sea king, causing it to sneeze. The power of the sneeze shot both ships across the ocean at great speed, tearing up Vigaro's ship.

"They sank..." Chopper said.

"Oi! What about Zoro and Sanji?!" Jenka exclaimed.

Luffy gaped. "O-OH YEAH!! OI!!"

--------------------------------------------------

The crew laughed at the men's misfortune after rescuing them from the torn ship. Everyone sat at the table inside of the ship while the boy sat on one corner as Sanji cooked.

"Good thing you're alive, Zoro~!" Luffy commented.

"Takkun...! Couldn't you have gotten us out sooner?!"

"Damn right!" Sanji added.

"No sweat~!" Was all Luffy could say.

The boy just sat in the corner, staring at the others, not noticing Luffy kneeling in front of him. They began to talk about why Luffy was so reckless and that it was all due to his past and how he'll follow his dream or die trying.

After dinner, the crew noticed a lot of floating wood in the ocean and went out to investigate. But in front of them was nothing but a ship graveyard, and a fresh one at that.

"What's going on...?" Nami asked. Sirens suddenly went off and lights flickered on in front of them, revealing an island with a large fortress on it. Nami's eyes widened. "It's a marine stronghold!!"

"Nami-san, what does this mean?" Sanji asked.

"But there's no mistake..." She replied, observing the Eternal Pose. "The needle is pointing straight ahead."

"Ne..." Robin spoke up. "Suppose that Eternal Pose if a fake."

Nami gasped and pulled out a pen from her pocket and pulled the screws loose on the Eternal Pose's name tag. Sure enough, underneath was the word "Navarone" instead of Partia.

Sanji's eye twitched. "Kuso! I knew there was something fishy going on!"

"It was Gasparde." Jenka said low and angrily as she clenched the side of the railing.

"Jenka?" Usopp said.

"He's the only one who'd do something like this." Luffy agreed with her.

Nami walked over to Luffy. "What? You don't know that."

"I'm sure of it."

"Chotto..."

"I think he's right."

Everyone turned around to see the boy walking up the steps towards the crew. He continued. "While we were sailing, I saw a large stockpile of Eternal Poses in the cargo hold. That's probably one of them."

"Pirates stabbing pirates in the back, eh?" Zoro growled. "Real great 'general' he turned out to be..."

"That shitty bastard." Sanji growled afterward.

"You're affiliated with that asshole?" Jenka asked. The boy only nodded.

"What do we do now?" Usopp asked. "Go after him?"

"We can't do that without the real Eternal Pose." Nami pointed out.

"That's right! It's too late! It's all too late!" The boy shouted. His body shook with his head hanging low. "Now grandpa is gonna..."

"Your grandpa?" Nami asked softly.

"N-not my real one... but he saved my life. He's sick... and those pirates say he's not their nakama and won't give him any medicine. That's why I..."

"You came onto our ship so you could buy medicine..." Nami finished for him, understanding his feelings finally.

"You're an idiot."

The boy looked at Luffy, who's back was turned to him. "Eh?"

"That old man didn't save your life so you'd go around doing stuff like this."

He bit his lower lip, trying not to cry. "Wa... wakatta yo!"

"If you get it, then live. If your resolve is really that strong, go rescue him from that ship. If you're not going to do anything about it, you've got no right talking about risking your life.

The boy began to shed angry tears. "Someone like you... doesn't have to tell me that!"

"Well that's good then." Luffy turned around and flashed him a confident smile. "Cause I'm about to go kick his ass. Coming?"

The boy held up his fists. "Un! I'm coming!"

Nami shrugged. "I guess that's that. We can't just give up on $30,000,000 berries. Though we'll have to get the real Eternal Pose."

"Ano..." Usopp smiled nervously. "It sort of sounds like you're planning to take on Gasparde... Ah! They're firing at us!"

The marines shot their cannons at the Going Merry, though they were still a bit far away. Luffy inflated himself to deflect the oncoming cannon balls!

After finishing the shot, the ship turned around with Luffy still smiling. "Yosh~! Iiguso~!!"

"Matte Luffy." Jenka stopped him. "How are we suppose to find Gasparde?"

"With Chopper's nose."

"Gotcha!" Chopper agreed.

"Oh, I get it." Sanji caught on.

Usopp sweat dropped. "That can't possibly work..."

"Don't worry!" Nami replied. "Leave it to the navigator~!"

"Are things always this lively?" The boy asked.

"Ah." Zoro replied. "Almost every day."


	3. Movie 4: Part 3 end

_**PREVIOUSLY...**_

The race begins! The Straw-Hats kick off to a frightening start as they try to survive the dangerous flow of the ocean's rough currents and the attacks from other pirates. The crew learns about Gasparde, who was an ex-marine who turned to piracy. As the crew sails towards their destination, a boy stowaways onboard and reveals to them that he wanted to kill them for medicine money for a man he looks up to like a grandfather. But Gasparde had tricked them all from the very beginning, sending the other pirate contestants to a naval base instead of the correct destination. Now the Straw-Hats race towards Gasparde for the prize money, revenge, and teach him a lesson in piracy.

* * *

The Straw-Hat pirates sailed at full speed in the direction Chopper's strong and trusty nose pointed them in. It wasn't until a couple hours passed by when they finally spotted Gasparde's ship sailing in front of them.

Luffy stood up on Going Merry's head with fury blazing in his eyes. "GASPARDEEEEEE!!!!"

The crew noticed Gasparde's ship mates crowded around one area of the ship and the main mast torn down. Gasparde was obvious to spot in the crowd of pirates on board. He was a large man wearing a marine general's coat with a big red "x" painted over the back of the marine logo. He wore a pale purple suit under the coat. He had pale yellow hair that was slicked back down just passed his neck. He had a fairly large head with a big forehead and cleft.

Some men from Gasparde's crew spotted them Going Merry and Luffy in the front. "Who the hell are they?" Others replied and asked questions. "Are they part of the race?" "Who cares! Give them a cannonball to snack on!"

"This has to be some kind of joke. We really sniffed our way here..." Usopp still pondered in wonderment.

Chopper faced him in surprise. "Eh?! You didn't believe in me?!"

"The paddle wheel's stopped." Nami pointed out, noticing the steamboat's wheel was at a still. "Guess there's been some action over there. Luffy! Go ahead and bust some action!"

"Right!"

Luffy winded up his arm and threw his fist into the ship. Then he rocketed himself over and crashed intentionally into the ship, almost tearing it in half. From the ship, the Straw-Hat crew noticed Luffy wasting no time and throwing the crew overboard along with destroying another mast. They sailed up along the side of the steamboat and followed close by.

"Oh? Sounds like he's having fun." Sanji predicted.

"Make sure you take us straight there." Zoro instructed the boy as they planned to board the ship. The boy nodded.

Sanji threw a claw at the ship and hooked up beside it. "That guy has a nasty habit of getting lost."

Zoro blushed in embarrassment. "Urusei wa!"

Usopp stood proudly with his arms folded. "Yosh! I'll back you up, so go about your business!"

A vein bulged in Zoro's forehead. "What's that bad ass look for?!"

"This time, I'm coming with you." Jenka ordered. "I want a piece of Gasparde as well."

Zoro nodded. "Ah."

As soon as they boarded the steamship, they discovered Gasparde had the race rigged from the beginning to help with his "boredom" and the man "entertaining" him in a bloody fight was Shuraiya, the bounty hunter who fought with Luffy back on the island. Gasparde continued, explained that the winner of the race would have the privilege of joining his crew. He was sick of seeing foolish pirates and their dreams and found life boring. According to him, all you need is power - not adventures or treasure - and you can have anything, or otherwise be crushed by him.

Sanji lite himself a cigarette. "I get it. So you're that bookkeeper's accomplice? He's probably already left the island with all the prize money."

"Oi! Put me down!" The boy said as he struggled under Zoro's shoulder.

"Don't be impatient." Zoro replied.

Jenka gasped at the sight of the Shuraiya's beaten body at Gasparde's feet. She glared angrily at the ex-marine. "You bastard!!"

The boy pointed. "Ah! Over there! It's grandpa!" Zoro released him. "Grandpa!!"

An old man kneeling on the floor off to one side smiled as soon as he saw the boy. "Anaguma!"

"Grandpa!" They embraced each other and were both relieved to see one another alive.

The old man tried not to cry. "Yougatta... I'm so glad you're safe, you little idiot."

"Gomen..." He suddenly remembered something and released the old man. "I came to save you!"

"Save me?"

"I brought some pirates with me! They said they'd save you!"

The old man looked up at Zoro walking towards them. "Pirates?"

The boy nodded. "Un! I'll tell you all about it later. Right now, let just get out of here! These guys are strong! They'll drop us off at another island. And they've got a doctor. You can have him look at you! We're going to live~! Just like you always say: stay alive. You were right! We'll find a new place to live! Something good will happen to us! Let's go, grandpa~"

The man stared at the boy for a moment in awe. "Omae... I see..." He began to stare at Shuraiya's stiff injured body without a word.

"Grandpa?"

"Mr. Swordsman." The old man spoke to Zoro. "I have a little favor to ask, if you don't mind helping out this poor old man."

"That's what I came to do." He replied.

"Yosh! Let's go!" The boy Anaguma said.

"A-ah... before that, I left something in the boiler room." The old man smiled. "Go on without me. Right, Mr. Swordsman?"

Zoro's eyes narrowed on the old man for a moment, realizing what he was asking. He nodded. "Ah. Got it."

"Grandpa?"

The old man stood up. "Don't worry. I'll be right behind you."

He smiled. "Hurry back!" With that, the old man slowly went below, waving with a smile at the boy.

"Iiguso." Zoro picked the boy up and carried him underneath his shoulder again. "Luffy, We're all done here."

"Alright." He replied.

As Luffy provoked Gasparde into a brawl, Sanji caught up with Zoro and began to climb down the rope and onto the Going Merry. "Nami-san~! We're all done here~!"

"Then get back down here! Something's weird!" She called up to him.

"Huh?"

"The weather is really weird!" The waves began to increase in size along with rain falling and the wind picking up speed.

"Huh?" Jenka turned around and found Luffy already fighting Gasparde, but was soon interrupted after Luffy punched him in the stomach.

"Are? This feels weird! What the hell is this?!" Luffy asked.

Jenka called down to the others "Minna, Gasparde's doing something weird to Luffy! It's his ability!"

"Weird?" Sanji repeated, looking back at Gasparde.

Gasparde chuckled. "The name of the Devil's Fruit I ate was the Ame Ame no Mi. It gave me the ability to change my body into candy syrup." He sat up to reveal to everyone his stomach. Luffy's fist was caught inside of his belly which was surrounded by a green ooze, obviously his candy syrup ability. He laughed again and began to punch Luffy hard in the face and gut with his fist still stuck inside of his belly. Blood flew everyone from his mouth and wounds.

"Oi!" Sanji began to walk over and help him when Zoro stopped him.

"Stay out of it. This is his fight. He'll get mad of you step in."

"But that candy bastard's strong." Sanji replied, gritting his teeth. He suddenly got an idea. "Chotto matte gure."

"Sanji–!" Jenka called after him, but Zoro grabbed her arm.

"Let him go. He'll be fine. Let him do his business."

"But the fight...."

"Come on, let's hurry."

As Sanji disappeared on the steam ship, the rest of the crew watched what they could of the fight from aboard the Going Merry.

That is, until Nami suddenly screamed and was freaking out. "MINNA!! Hurry! Get ready to leave! Bascud Island is nearby! Let's go there!"

Usopp raised an eyebrow. "But Sanji and Luffy-"

"WE'RE JUST GETTING READY!!" She screamed up at Luffy. "Luffy! Please don't' take too long! A huge cyclone is almost upon us!" Luffy was then hurled into the ship after Nami had warned him.

"Luffy!" Usopp yelled after him. "Is he alright?"

"It's definitely headed this way." Robin noticed, mentioning the cyclone. "It'll hit us head on."

Luffy ran out and tried punching Gasparde, but missed. He grabbed a hold of one of the remaining masts and stabbed it through Gasparde, catching him off guard. Luffy jumped into the air and nailed Gasparde into the ship while he was still stuck.

Sanji coughed from the plank dust floating around the area Gasparde was nailed. "Oi, are you done yet?" He asked Luffy, carrying bags over his shoulders. "The ship's about to sink. We gotta het out of here."

Luffy panted for a moment before standing back up. "Go on without me. This will take a little longer."

"That actually hurt...!"

They turned around to find Gasparde nothing but a large gooey blob trying to solidify back into his normal shape. "When I'm not syrup, my body is normal. It's been a long time since I've felt pain." With that, he shot the broken mast out of him.

Sanji sighed. "No, normally that would do worse than just hurt. Oh well." He turned his attention to Luffy. "We'll get the ship out of here and come back for you later. Any problem with that?"

"No."

"Then take these." Sanji gave Luffy the 2 large sacks he was carrying.

Luffy threw them over his shoulders, confused. "What are these?"

"Use them. Gotta go." He ran off towards the Going Merry before letting Luffy reply.

Sanji jumped over the ship, landing safely back on the Going Merry.

Chopper smiled. "Sanji!"

"Where were you?" Jenka asked.

"I'll tell you later." He replied. "Just get us out of here. It's dangerous."

Nami agreed. "Souda! We've got to go! But... what about Luffy?"

"Wait..." Usopp remembered. "Weren't you bringing back the old man?"

"He's going to go blow up the boiler." Sanji explained as the Going Merry took off and everyone retreated inside. "There's less than a minute left."

Anaguma's eyes widened. "S-screw that! Go back!! Why didn't you save grandpa?! How could you do that?!" He grabbed onto Sanji's pants. "Why did you come back without him?! You said you'd rescue him! Why?!"

"What about Luffy?" Jenka asked Sanji.

"He doesn't want us to help him. We'll come back later for him."

Zoro went up behind the boy and karate chopped him in the neck, forcing him to pass out. The boy fell to his knees, leaning against Sanji for support.

Chopper ran over to the unconscious boy. "Zoro!!"

"He's better off like this." The swordsman replied.

"How could you do that?!" Chopper asked, checking on the kid. "Didn't you notice?!" The boiler hat fell off of the kid as Chopper rolled him over, revealing his long pale auburn hair. "This kid's a girl!"

Zoro and Sanji's eyes bulged. "HAH?!"

_BOOOOOM!!_

Everyone ran outside to find what the explosion was. As they thought, Gasparde's ship exploded, cutting the ship in half.

"O-Oi!" Usopp stuttered. "Is Luffy alright?"

"Dunno." Sanji replied.

"What to you mean 'dunno'?! The whole ship just blew up! And even if he did survive... he's a Hammer! Why did that old man have to do that?!"

"He had his reasons." Zoro answered.

"What reasons?! I don't understand at all...! Turn us around! We have to help Luffy!"

"Matte." Robin said softly, leaning against the rail. "He's alive. But so is Gasparde."

Knowing that, the crew went quickly to shore of the nearest island called Bascud and watched the battle from afar on the remains of Gasparde's ship from inside of a cave they found. Nami and Usopp decided to watch from the shore line.

"The cyclone's coming right for him!" Nami shouted through the rain.

Usopp began to sweat. "Luffy... why isn't he back yet? If he doesn't get here soon there'll be real trouble!"

"Don't panic." Zoro called after him, sitting against the wall of the cave.

"Aren't you worried?!" Usopp called after him.

He smiled. "That guy always come through." He opened his eyes with a nervous sweat drop on his brow. "Let's believe in our captain."

Jenka noticed the nervous look on his face. "A-ah... you're right."

-----------------------------------------

The rain and cyclone stormed through the night, making it as dark as ever. It wasn't until morning with the bright blazing sun when the crew's spirits were slightly lifted. But as soon as they woke and looked out onto the sea, a lifeboat was rowing towards them with the old man, the injured bounty hunter Shuraiya, and Luffy, who was wrapped in bloody bandages sleeping on the boat. Usopp and Asaguma waved for them, helping them sail towards the Going Merry. Asaguma looked more like a girl now with her long hair down and wearing a yellow-blue polka dotted dress, shouting out for the old man. He simply smiled and waved back.

They hooked up the little boat to the Going Merry where they towed it behind them as they made their way to another island.

"Thank you for giving her these clothes." The old man thanked Nami, referring to Asaguma's dress.

Nami giggled. "I wore it when I was little."

"Old man." Zoro spoke. "You never intended to die after all, did you?"

"Me?" He laughed. "Ba~ka! I said I was going to _watch _until the end, not die."

There was a long moment of silence. Shuraiya leaned against the wall on one side of the kitchen while Asaguma sat on the medical bed on the other side while facing the wall. The air was filled with tension.

"Oi... This is one big awkward moment." Usopp whispered to the group.

"Well of course." Nami whispered back. "Discovering that they were siblings all of a sudden..."

"Booooooshiiii......" Luffy cried a river of tears as he laid his head on the table. He had lost his hat in the explosion during his fight against Gasparde. He cried so hard that his tears trailed off the table, making a puddle on the floor.

Sanji sighed. "Cheer up. We looked all over the place, I understand how you feel."

"Boooooshiiiii......" Luffy cried again.

Shuraiya threw a straw hat in front of Luffy. "Here."

Luffy grabbed the hat with large glittering eyes and a smile from ear to ear. "AAAAH!!!! MY HAT!!!"

Usopp smiled. "How did you...?"

"You said it was important to you, right?" Shuraiya asked. "It was lying at my feet so I picked it up."

Luffy faced him with happy tears strolling down his face. "Arigatou!! You're a great guy!!" He looked at Nami and handed her the hat innocently. "Nami, could you fix it again...?"

She nodded with a smile. "Hai, hai."

Jenka smiled. "I'm just glad that Garparde bastard is finally gone."

Luffy laughed. "Me too. He was a real jerk!" all Jenka could do was laugh at her captain.

Several minutes past and there was still some awkwardness between the newly founded siblings. Nami stitched Luffy's hat back together and everyone had some hearty lunch. Later, they all went outside for some fresh clean air, until Luffy spotted an island.

"Land ho!!" He shouted to the crew.

Nami nodded. "That's the goal island. It's right on course with the Log the old man gave us. Which means~..."

"WE WIN~!!!!" Everyone cheered.

While everyone was celebrating their victory, the old man spoke with Shuraiya about standing up to his sister and how he should acknowledge his past and take a step towards the future. He pointed behind him, showing Shuraiya that Asaguma decided to take the first step at getting to know her big brother. But before anything could be said, Usopp screamed at the others.

"THE MARINES!!!"

A small fleet of naval ships sailed fast towards the Going Merry, surprising them with their encounter.

"Why are they here?!" Jenka asked.

"Wait a sec!" Sanji exclaimed. "They're the same guys that were chasing us before the race!"

"Quick! You three into the boat!" Nami ordered the Bascud siblings and the old man. The three of them obeyed and jumped into the boat being pulled from behind.

"Why?! Just tell them that you saved us!" Asaguma complained from within the small boat.

"They'll never listen to us." Nami explained.

"We _are _pirates after all." Jenka added. "We have to retreat in these situations."

Asaguma shook her head. "But... but...!"

"You're going to live somewhere the sun can reach you. You can't be seen with wanted criminals."

Tears began to swell up in Asaguma's eyes. "But...!"

Nami smiled. "Don't say that your life has no meaning ever again." She waved and walked away. "Ja ne."

Usopp gave them a thumbs up. "Stay well!" He walked away like Nami, as did everyone else when they said their good-byes.

"Be sure to become a fine lady." Sanji smiled at her.

"And to do that, you should take care of the way you speak." Robin giggled.

Zoro waved his hand once at them. "Work hard."

"Try to stay out of trouble." Jenka winked.

"Take care of yourself! Chopper yelled after them, waving.

Luffy stared at them for a moment, with Shuraiya staring straight back. Their eyes locked with serious expressions on their faces.

Shuraiya narrowed his gaze. "You think you've saved us?" He sighed and smiled. "Whatever. I don't want to see you ever again. Get out of here, you damn pirate."

Luffy gave him a big smile and nodded. "Got it!" He cut the rope, releasing the little boat from their grasp. Luffy waved after them, jumping into the air. "JA NA~!! TAKE CARE~!!

"You take care too!! And everyone~!!" Asaguma yelled and waved back. "Arigatou~!!"

The marine ships passed the little boat and followed the Straw-Hat crew in yet another long pursuit.

"This is a surprise." Zoro smiled at Nami, who was looking depressed over the railing.

"What?" Nami asked in a depressed tone.

"The prize money. You passed up a $300,000,000 prize."

Nami's shoulders shook. "It couldn't be helped... " She threw her face into Zoro's with fanged teeth and evil eyes, catching Zoro off guard and shivering. "WE HAD NO CHOICE, RIGHT?!?! That damned bookkeeper... he was working with Gasparde!!" She began choking Zoro, turning his face blue. "I'LL NEVER FORGIVE THEM!!!"

"B-but at least you have your life...!" Zoro tried saying while gasping for air.

Jenka laughed. "There's no way she's supress all those feelings from losing that much money!"

"Just let it go." Luffy smiled. "Don't worry too much. We've got our whole journey ahead of us. Something's bound to turn up."

"Soudayou, Nami-san." Sanji agreed. "Besides, we should think of what we're going to do about them."

"MATTE YOU FILTHY PIRATES!!!" The marine General yelled after them.

Nami released the gasping Zoro and sighed. "Alright. I'm tired of being a poor pirate. Why is everyone else so happy?" She heard Luffy giggle. "Listen up!!" She yelled at him. "Hurry up and lose those ships so we can go to the next island! On the double!!"

"Hai~ Nami-swan~!!!" Sanji happily agreed.

"Yosh~!" Luffy cheered. "Full speed ahead to becoming the Pirate King~!! Let's go onto our next adventure, guys~!!"

Everyone threw their fists into the air. "UN!!!"


End file.
